How to get the Best Price on a New Car and get Top Money for Your Trade-in

By getting quotes through the Internet, instead of going directly to a car dealer, you can often get a better price for a new car. You may also get a higher price for your trade-in by getting an appraisal offer from a used car dealer before you buy your new car.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. First, decide what car you want to buy. Make sure you know the make, model, and trim you want.
   To do this, you can either visit your local dealer or get information from the Internet. See step 3 below on how use the Internet.

2. If you go to your local dealer, talk to a salesperson, get literature and prices, and if you want to, inspect and test-drive a car. If you do visit a dealer, do not commit yourself to anything.

3. To use the Internet, go to car research sites such as cars.com (http://www.cars.com/go/index.jsp), Kelley Blue Book (http://www.kbb.com/), and Edmunds.com (http://www.edmunds.com/index.html). There is a wealth of information, such as reviews, prices, tips and advice, and forums, at these sites. Once you have decided what make, model, and trim you want, follow the steps below on how to get dealer quotes, in your area, through the internet.

4. I will use Edmunds.com as an example of what to do.
   Click on New Cars, on the Home Page. A new screen will appear with the heading: New Car Prices, Reviews & Specs.

5. Click on Free Price Quotes on this screen. Fill in the information under the headings: Dealer Price Quotes, What car are you looking for?
   Then click on Continue.

6. A new screen will appear with detailed information about your choice.
   In the box “Get Dealer Quotes”, fill in the required information.
   Then click the box: Submit to Get Dealer Price Quotes.

7. Soon you will be receiving e-mails and phone calls from dealers within your chosen zip code. Ensure that you get a written quote e-mailed or mailed to you – this is very important!
   
   You will probably find that the Internet quotes can be 5% to 10% less than the sticker price at the dealer’ s store. One of the reasons for this is that the dealer knows that you can get, through the Internet, competitive quotes almost anywhere in the USA.

8. When you are ready to buy your car, and you are going to trade in your existing car, before going to the dealer, go to Carmax (or any other used car dealer of your choice). Carmax will inspect your car and give you an appraisal offer, usually valid for 7 days or 300 miles.

9. Now go the dealer of your choice (within the 7 days of the Carmax quote) to buy the new car. Drive to the dealer with the car you intend to trade in, taking with you the dealer’s written quotation and the Carmax appraisal offer.

10. During the process of filling in the paperwork for your new car (do not mention Carmax), the question of the trade-in value of your car will arise. Tell the dealer to make you an offer. The dealer will probably ask to inspect your car - give him the keys.

11. When the dealer makes an offer, compare it to the Carmax offer. If the dealer’s offer is less than Carmax’s, produce the Carmax quote and ask if they can meet it. If they will not meet it, indicate that your are leaving and going directly to Carmax to sell it.
    
    It is almost certain they will then meet the price, because they know, once you leave, they will lose the sale. If they can better Carmax’s price take their offer. This way you can possibly get from $1000 to $3000 more for your trade-in!

Tips & Warnings

• You are not restricted to one zip code when getting dealer quotes on the internet. When you have submitted you request for a quote in a particular zip code, go back to Step 5 and change the zip code, then continue as before.

[ecopans]

on 8/21/2009 Happy to be of service to you

[ecopans]

on 8/12/2009 very good information...thanks. Did not know I could go through the internet to buy a car